Tube socket having a plurality of electrical discharge gaps

ABSTRACT

A socket having a plurality of electrical discharge gaps including first and second superimposed members each having respectively an insulating material base, one of the bases having circularly spaced connecting pins embedded therein and the other base having terminal members and a ground terminal member in number and positioning corresponding to the connecting pins, and being mechanically and electrically interconnected therewith, the connecting pins having radially extending legs and the terminal members being bent so as to define thereby the plurality of gaps.

United, States Patent 1 1 1 1 Kimura et al. 1 g Dec. 3, 1974 [54] TUBE SOCKET HAVING A PLURALITY OF 2,036,384 4/1936 Alden 339/193 R 2,829,359 4/1958 Ritter 339/193 P ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE GAPS 2,863,131 12/1958 Carlzen et al. 339/14 T [75] Inventors: Seiichi Kimura; Takao uzuki; 3,131,988 5/1964 Jensen et al 339/14 T x Masahiro Nakajima, all of Takasaki,

Japan Primary Examiner--Roy D. Frazier [73] Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Kabushiki Kaisha, Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Tokyo, Japan Attorney, Agent, or FirmEric H. Waters 22 Filed: July 16, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 379,729 1 1 ABSTRACT I A socket having a plurality of electrical discharge gaps [30 Foreign Application priority Data including first and second superimposed members July 18 Ja'pan 473N228 each having respectively an insulating material base, 1 one of the bases having circularly spaced connecting LS. I T T R pins embedded therein and the other base having ter- [51] Int l H01. 3/06 minal members and a ground terminal member in [58] Field of 207 209 1 number and positioning corresponding to the c0nnect- 4 in'g pins, and being mechanically and electrically interv connected therewith, the connecting pins having radi- [56] References Cited 1 ally extending legs and the terminal members being UNITED STATES PATENTS bent so as'to define thereby the plurality of gaps. 1,830,790' l1/193l Greaves et al. 339/156 T 9 -3 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEL HEB 31974 sum 10F 2 PAIENTLLHEE 31914 3.852.699

SHEEI 20! 2 TUBE SOCKET HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE GAPS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tube socket and, more particularly, a socket for a Braun TV tube, with the socket having discharging gaps formed therein so as to prevent difficulties which may be caused by an overvoltage.

- DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore, it has been usual to provide a discharging gap element in an electronic circuit, which in order to prevent the circuit components from being damaged by an overvoltage, will cause an electric discharge so as to permit an electric current to flow therethrough to the earth, only at times when a voltage is applied thereto higher than that at a predetermined level. Thus, for example, possibly or more elements may be used in a Braum tube circuit for a color TV receiver set, so as to require careful and complex adjustment thereof, and being extremely difficult to assemble and attach in the circuit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to obviate the drawbacks and disadvantages encountered inthe prior art by providing a novel and improved tube socket of the type described which has a plurality of discharging gaps formed therein, and which may be simplyand easily adjusted.

Thus, pursuant to the present invention, a plurality of discharging gaps are formed in the tube socket so that, in contrast with the prior art in which a plurality of discharging gap elements are separately prepared and attached, the overall dimensions thereof may be considerablyreduced so as to greatly simplify the manufacture of TV receiver sets or, the like. Additionally, the discharging gaps may be so precisely formed enabling for example, an accuracy in tolerance to within about 1 1/100 mms, thereby allowing its operational voltage to be exceptionally stable and accurate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now had to the following detailed de- FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first detail component of the socket;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tubular connecting m; p FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second detail component of the socket;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the metallic frame body of the socket;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of another embodiment of the second detail component;

FIG. Ill is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the metallic frame body adapted to be embedded therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings, the socket generally includes a first major portion A and a second major portion B adapted to be superimposed or assembled as shown in FIGS. l to 5 of the drawings.

The first portion A comprises a base plate 1 formed of an insulating material and being, for example, of a circular form, and a plurality of tubular connecting pins 2 (12 pins in the'illustrated exemplary embodiment) which are adapted to receive terminals of a Braun tube or the like. The connecting pins 2 are circularly disposed and have one end thereof embedded in the base plate 1. Each pin 2- is provided at its lower end with a leg portion 2a extending sideways and then downwardly therefrom,'as shown in FIG. 7. The leg portions 2a extend radially with respect to the rear surface of the base plate 1, as shown in FIG. 6. A central opening 3 extends through the base plate 1. Although the connecting pins 2 are circularly disposed at any desired interval, it is desirable that the spacings. therebetween are not regular but irregular in a manner so that, for example, there are two pins spaced wider apart, as shown in FIG. 6.

The second portion B comprises an insulating material base plate 4 of, for example, a circular form having an outer diameter in correspondence with that of base plate 1. A metallic frame body portion C has a construction which includes radially extending terminal members 5 equal in number and spacing with the connecting pins 2,'and a single radially extending earth terminal member 6 which is disposed between two pins 2,2. The terminal members are radially connected to a central annular connecting member 7 which is embedpartially into a bent portion 8 deflecting upwardly from the terminal member 5. The terminal members 5 and the earth terminal member 6 have their respective leg' portions 5a and 6a extending downwardly therefrom,

with these leg portions 5a and 6a extending outwardly I to the rear side of the base plate 4, as shown in FIG. 8.

A central opening 9 extends through the base plate 4.

The thus formed first and second socket portions A and B are then superimposed and fastened together by means of a screw 10, or the like fastener, while the leg portions 2a of the connecting pins 2 in the first portion A are respectively connected, by soldering or the like, to the leg portions 5a of the terminal member 5 in the second portion B. Thus, an integrally fastened assembly is obtained. A guide projection I1 is formed on the inner surface of the central openings 3 and 9, with this projection llll serving to orient the angular inserting position of a Braun tube or the like.

The rear surface of the second portion B of this assembly, in effect, the rear surface of the insulating material base plate 4 has cut an annular groove 12 therein which is concentric therewith. This annular groove 12 has a radius pass transversely below the bent segment 8 of the earth terminal member 6, and also has a sufficient depth so as to reach the terminal members 5, but

will not reach the bent segment 8 of the earth terminal member 6, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Consequently, each terminal member 5 is cut off at the region within the groove 12 so as to form a discharging gap 13 at that region, while the earth terminal member 6 is not cut off thereby.

The socket thus obtained is employed so that the earth terminal member 6 is connected at its leg portion 6a with the ground, and thereby each connecting pin 2 is connected to the ground through the discharging gap 13 formed in the thereto connected terminal member 5.

FIGS. 10 to 12 illustrate a modified embodiment of the second socket portion B. In this embodiment, the insulating material base plate 4 is previously, in effect, at the time of molding thereof, provided with respective openings 12a for the terminal members 5, and thereafter each discharging gap 13 is made in each terminal member 5 by cutting or punching and the like applied within each opening l2a. The metallic frame body C used in this embodiment is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and in which the bent segment 8 of the previous embodiment is not required for the earth terminal member 6.

While there has been shown what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that modifications may be made which come within the scope of the disclosure of the specification.

What is claimed is:

l. A socket having electrical discharging gaps, comprising a first member including a plurality of tubular connecting pins for receiving electrodes of a Braun tube or the like; an insulating material base plate having said pins circularly disposed and embedded therein,

leg portions extending respectively from each of said connecting pins and extending radially to the perimeter of said base plate, and then extending axially exteriorly and normal to a rear surface of said base plate; and a second member having a plurality of terminal members corresponding in number and spatial positioning to said connecting pins, a single grounding terminal member, a second insulating material base plate having said terminal members and a grounding terminal member disposed radially and embedded therein; leg portions respectively extending from said terminal members and from said grounding terminal member extending exteriorly of said second base plate, said first and second members being in superimposed relationship so as to facilitate the leg portions of the connecting pins of said first member and the leg portions of the terminal members of said second member to be respectively mechanically and electrically interconnected, said terminal members being shaped to form said electrical discharging gaps within the base plate of said second member.

2. A socket as claimed in claim 1, said gaps being formed by said grounding terminal member having at least a portion thereof bent so to form a bent segment deflected upwardly with respect to said terminal members, and the rear surface of said second base plate of the second member being provided with an annular groove having a depth so as to reach the terminal members but not the grounding terminal member.

3. A socket according to claim 1, said second base plate being previously provided with an opening for each said terminal member, each said gap being formed within each said opening for said terminal members. 

1. A socket having electrical discharging gaps, comprising a first member including a plurality of tubular connecting pins for receiving electrodes of a Braun tube or the like; an insulating material base plate having said pins circularly disposed and embedded therein, leg portions extending respectively from each of said connecting pins and extending radially to the perimeter of said base plate, and then extending axially exteriorly and normal to a rear surface of said base plate; and a second member having a plurality of terminal members corresponding in number and spatial positioning to said connecting pins, a single grounding terminal member, a second insulating material base plate having said terminal members and a grounding terminal member disposed radially and embedded therein; leg portions respectively extending from said terminal members and from said grounding terminal member extending exteriorly of said second base plate, said first and second members being in superimposed relationship so as to facilitate the leg portions of the connecting pins of said first member and the leg portions of the terminal members of said second member to be respectively mechanically and electrically interconnected, said terminal members being shaped to form said electrical discharging gaps within the base plate of said second member.
 2. A socket as claimed in claim 1, said gaps being formed by said grounding terminal member having at least a portion thereof bent so to form a bent segment deflected upwardly with respect to said terminal members, and the rear surface of said second base plate of the second member being provided with an annular groove having a depth so as to reach the terminal members but not the grounding terminal member.
 3. A socket according to claim 1, said second base plate being previously provided with an opening for each said terminal member, each said gap being formed within each said opening for said terminal members. 